Cracker Barrel Gathering

Abby came in to town this past weekend to work with her guide dog students and the puppies they are raising.  She wanted to get everyone together for dinner on Saturday night.  The Gertson family drove to  Springville to meet Abby for dinner.  Abby had wanted to go to the steak place but we couldn't get in until after 8:30.  So we settled on a change of place and ended up at the Cracker Barrel instead.   Such a fun evening and so fun to see Abby and catch up a little bit on her life.  She is a busy, busy woman.  I sure hope she doesn't wear herself down too much.  She certainly has a lot of responsibility and a lot going on with her job.  Such a fun evening.

After dinner we all wandered into their gift shop area and did some shopping.  They had all their Christmas and Thanksgiving decor out so there was lots of stuff to look at and, of course, to buy.  I spotted a pair of acrylic reindeer that I fell in love with.  I gave it a lot of thought and finally ended up getting them.  They are beautiful and will look gorgeous on my grand piano.  I may have to get some little tiny white Christmas lights to put around them.  I've got Annie working on that.  My projects always end up being hers!  

I just noticed my Halloween spider candy dish behind them!  I know it is a week early for the reindeer but I couldn't wait to unpack them and put them on the piano.  They are gorgeous, right?

Hawaii and Home

 The evenings were filled with movies and games if we got back to the house soon enough.  We did realize that the four of us can play Shanghi without any issues.  The game always ends with smiles and laugher no matter who wins.  So we decided that it is Jeff and Neal that bring the tension to the game.  Friday morning we were all up by 6 and getting packed and ready for our journey home.  We were able to help Emmi get all the air mattresses down and put away and most of her apartment put back together.  Emmi was the best hostess you could ask for.  She drove us all over the islands, never complained, just totally accommodated our every wish.  I'm sure that most of these places she took us to, she has been a dozen times with other visitors she has had, but I always felt like she acted like it was her first time there.  Like she was enjoying it for the first time herself.  Emmi had to go to work that day so she was in her uniform and looking very official.  We had prayer each morning before we began our adventures and this mornings prayer was the most peaceful and reverent and the hardest to say.  I sure hope Heavenly Father knows how very blessed we all felt and how very grateful we were for our time spent together.  These pictures tell it all.

I can't thank Lynda Ann enough for making all the arrangements for this trip.  The flights, the hotels, the tours, etc.  A huge thanks to Emmi for hosting us and taking care of our every needs and for purchasing the tickets for our tours and arranging the times.  Thanks to Mallory for being with us and for all the many laughs even though she was sick a few days of the trip.  She is a delight.  For me to just be there with this family was beyond words of appreciation and love.  How very thankful I am for families and that we can be together forever!!  I sure hope there are many more fun adventures in the next 10 years!!!  Love you all and big hugs and thanks.

Mallory spotted this plane with the turtles on it.  

This was our plane.

Another fun turtle pattern.

We touched down safely in Salt Lake at 11:39.  Andrew was waiting to pick up Mallory and Lynda Ann.  Neal was waiting to pick me up.  An added note here.  Andrew stayed in Orem at Mallory's apartment and tended Brinkley.  Jeffrey was in charge of Truman and Neal took good care of Sprout.  Thanks guys!

Hawaii - Day 7

 Wednesday evening we flew back to Honolulu.  Thursday morning we were up and off for our last day of adventures.  Our first stop was at Leonard's for some Malasadas.  A type of doughnut that was beyond delicious.  

Our next stop was Kaneohe - Kualoa Ranch.  This is where the movie industry has made hundreds of movies.  The ranch also grows all kinds of Hawaiian fruits and cocoa beans for coffee and chocolate.

On the train for our tour.

During WWII bunkers were built on this ranch and they have turned them into display areas of the different movies and also items left over from the war.

Part of the Lost series.  Emmi and Mallory love all the Lost displays.

Beautiful ranch and valley.

More Holliwood sites

Pictures of Turtle Rock

Chinaman's Hat

We left the ranch and headed to our final time on the beach.  Emmi took us to Bellows Field Beach Park.  Very secluded and very few people there.  

Lots of crabs on the point.

Walking back to the car.  Hard to wave goodbye to this beautiful part of the world.

We headed home to pack and get ready to leave the next morning.

Hawaii - Day 6

 We got up at our leisure and checked out about 10:00.  We walked over to the beach in Wailua and had breakfast on the beach.  One could get used to this kind of life.  

While I was waiting for everyone to finish, I wandered to the beach to just think about how very blessed I was to be able to be on this amazing trip with my daughter and granddaughters.  It was a peaceful and very teary moment for me.  I'm glad Mallory happened to take these pictures.  They are a reminder to me to just take a moment and look around at the beautiful earth we live on and how grateful we are that we are daughters of a Heavenly Father and Mother who love us, and that they created all of this for us to enjoy.

As we were walking to our car, Emmi's eagle eye spotted this little tiny front just off the sidewalk.

Our next stop was Wailua River State Park and the fern Grotto

The flowers in Hawaii are amazing and beautiful.  So brilliant in color.

Mallory, Emmi and Lynda Ann went for a walk on the beach.  I decided to just stay in the hotel room.  Didn't feel adventurous at that moment.  cute picture of Mallory on a beach swing.

Having a good dinner and a good laugh.  I was trying to get some  dental floss and had worked with it for a few minutes and finally in frustration handed it to Emmi where she simple peeled the protective coat off and then handed it back to me.  Sometimes I wonder about myself.  Thank goodness I can laugh at me!!!

We also visited the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge.  It was fun to walk to the point and then to the lighthouse.  

These are geese only found in Hawaii.  They are called, yup you guessed it, the Hawaiian Goose.  Aptly named, don't you think!

Birds located at the point.  This is where they nest and raise their young.  Emmi was able to spot every one of them and point them out to us.  

The lighthouse at the point which is being renovated.  

We saw this darling little baby goose nesting under some bushes on our walk back.  

We stopped at Smiley's for a quick bite to eat.

More pictures of the birds out by the lighthouse.  And we saw this gorgeous rainbow!